There appear to be more roadblocks to Microsoft getting Activision. And this time, it is coming from the government.

Specifically, this is coming from the FTC, which is also known as Federal Trade Commission. This was pushed forward by a combined letter by four senators: Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Bernie Sanders (Vermont), Cory Booker (New Jersey), and Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island). There were three large issues that were highlighted by said letter: impact on workers, accountability for Activision’s CEO Bobby Kotick, and industry consolidation.

And it seems that the FTC took this letter seriously, as this acquisition is now under investigation by the organization. Some go over what has been publically assured, with Microsoft saying that Activision Blizzard games will not be limited to the Xbox consoles, and will continue to be released on the PlayStation consoles.

However, FTC Chair Lina Khan has asserted that there are multiple issues that are being examined during this investigation. One part is a privacy concern, with the possibility of the two companies having their customer data merged and cross-examined. Another is what this will do to the game developer labor market (as both are large companies and could cause problems in the North American video game labor in the industry, particularly when it comes to redundancies), and perhaps more importantly, what this may mean for Activision Blizzard’s accusations for their toxic work environment. There has been only one gender discrimination suit that has been settled, out of the three we are aware of. And even with the possibility of the other lawsuits having complications, this could mean there could be complications with the Activision settlement, as they need various actions put into place to follow the settlement’s stipulations.

Still, the investigation is still in the early stages, and may not affect the planned acquisition- which should be taking place in 2023, if not barred from doing so.

SOURCE

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One of the complaints about the Switch subscription expansion pack is the lack of N64 games on the pack. Thankfully, there’s a new game that will be added to the roster.

As it turns out, there will be a new addition to the Switch Subscription. For those who love the old favorites, especially those in the Mario universe, this may be a delightful treat.

On April 15, 2022, Nintendo will be adding Mario Golf to the Expansion Pack. Mario Golf was originally released in 1999 onto the N64 system and has been one of the Mario sports staples ever since. There have been later versions of Mario Golf on the Wii, and Wii U. The latest of the Mario Golf franchise was Mario Golf: Super Rush, in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, marking it as the sixth golf installment for Mario.

Nintendo of America announced this newest addition to the Expansion Pack on Twitter on April 6, 2022. And while it is met with excitement (who doesn’t want to see a tiny golf club in Bowser’s hands?), it doesn’t come as a complete surprise. When the Expansion was first announced for the Switch, Mario Golf was on the docket. This could mean that we may see two other games that were also featured at this time. This could mean Pokemon Snap or Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards will be released soon in succession.

But this does not clarify what other games we may be seeing in this subscription service. While there are a variety of games that could come out, anything from, say, Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Party 2, or any other game that comes from the Mario universe.

And there may be a possibility, however slim, for the James Bond: GoldenEye to be joining the roster. This comes from all the changes that have been happening with GoldenEye as of late, as their ban was recently overturned by Germany early- which means someone went through the effort to ensure it could be sold.

But until the word is confirmed, we only have some hopes and dreams for what may come on the Switch Expansion subscription service. Stay Tuned!

SOURCE

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Phasmophobia is always fun in the works. We have seen a lot of updates for the game. But the developer Kinetic Games has revealed that they will be updating something else for Phasmophobia.

Phasmophobia will be going through a big update, even a rehaul, for Phasmophobia VR. While there had been a short clip last month on Twitter, showing how VR has been working, in comparison to before. From the minute and fourteen-second clip, it was very smooth, and now the tools from the previous update- such as the pentagram- can now be interacted with using the system.

And now Twitter announced that tomorrow, players who have a VR will be able to experience the rehaul for themselves. On April 7, 2022, the VR version will update, and it will make the game a lot more fun for those who play via VR!

This announcement also prompted some fans to ask if this will mean that the game will be coming onto the PlayStation VR 2 in the future. There is no announcement for a possible PS5 VR headset version. Not just yet. Sony has been focused on VR in manufacturing and creation, but there has been no tentative nor solid date as to the possible release. Then again, it is not as surprising as it could be. Kinetic games is very much a small developer. Perhaps once it’s ready,  Phasmophobia will be released on the big consoles in the future.

So for now, we will have to wait on the official word if there is, or will be, a move onto the big consoles (and their VRs!) in the future.

For now, Phasmophobia can be found on Steam for PC and VR.

Have you been enjoying the game? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

SOURCE

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One thing has been creeping into games lately: NFTs. And Ubisoft is no expectation.

Ubisoft had previously entered the world of NFTs with their first venture into the NFT sphere with their game, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. Through their Ubisoft Quartz website, players could get “Digits” which were basically player gear that was given unique numbers. No stacks, no bonuses, nothing of that sort.

At best, the reaction to this was mixed. As Ubisoft did not seem to understand what NFTs were from a previous FAQ. And too, fans did not seem to welcome the idea of having NFTs in their games, especially as there are environmental impacts from using the energy from the usage.

But, it seems that Ubisoft is currently thinking of continuing the trend, despite what has happened so far. Ubisoft released a statement, stating that they will continue the Quartz service. Meaning, that there will be future digits within upcoming releases.

“Thank you to all Ghost Recon Breakpoint players who claimed their first Digits,” Ubisoft stated on the Quartz website. “You own a piece of the game and have left your mark in its history. As the last Digit for Ghost Recon Breakpoint was released on 3/17/2022, stay tuned for more updates with features to the platform and future drops coming with other games.”

It looks as if they’re following the trends of Square Enix, Konami, and other companies where it comes to NFTs. This is unlike some companies, such as Steam, which has banned the use of NFT games altogether.

A Ubisoft exec did state recently that fans do not understand the benefits and concept when it comes to Quartz, and they may be right. Fans may not see the benefit of investing in a digit, now or in the future. Whether this means this will change things in the future

SOURCE

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Xbox has decided to come forward with a mentoring program for women in the video game industry.

Registration has opened for the Xbox Mentoring Program. This idea was first introduced on international women’s day- which was on March 8, 2022. This is a program that’s meant to give one-on-one attention, advice, and coaching sessions in various countries across the world. The current countries on the list are the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, and Korea. More key leaders from around the world are expected to (hopefully) join this mentorship program.

Those who live in the currently listed regions, and want a career in the industry, can apply from now, until April 17, 2022.

Here are some of the Xbox members that are taking part in the coaching: Hailey Geller, Social Marketing Manager (US); Louise O´Connor, Executive Producer of Everwild (UK); Venessa Nyarko, Producer at The Coalition, (Canada); Tania Chee, Business Lead, (Australia & New Zealand); Ina Gelbert, Director of the region, (France); Melek Balgün, event host (Germany, Austria & Switzerland); Mie Koshimizu, Category Manager (Japan); Boyoun Kim, Communications Manager (Korea).

Many of these women are highly educated and experienced with a variety of backgrounds, anywhere from having master’s degrees in their fields, to having over twenty years in the video game industry.

It does look as if it will be difficult to get a one-on-one coaching session, by the looks of the requirement FAQ. So if interested, be sure to be 18 or older, and be sure to look and make sure the possible coach’s career goal is aligned with yours. Otherwise, you may not be picked, even if you really, really want it.

Submissions will close on April 17th, 2022, and those chosen will be notified before or on April 25, 2022. But be sure to answer within three days, or else the opportunity will be passed to someone else.

For those who are interested- good luck!

SOURCE  SOURCE

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Kirby and the Forgotten Land has been out only for a little while. But surprisingly, Kirby is already getting attention for something else.

In a positive way!

At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, which took place in Las Vegas, Kirby, and video games, in general, got a win. The 8-Bit Big Band, a YouTube channel known for playing Arrangements for various video games, won the Best Arrangement, Instrumental, Or A Capella category. Specifically, the 8-Bit Big Band won the Grammy for their take on Meta Knight’s Revenge from Kirby Super Star.

The piece was arranged by Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman and was played as part of a 30-to 65-member orchestra. The Big Band is known for recreating video game tracks into jazzed-up versions of themselves. They’ve done arrangements from games such as Metal Gear Solid 3, Super Mario Land, and even a Frank Sinatra type version of Portal 2’s ‘Want You Gone’.

Still, this is a historical win for video game soundtracks. This is only the second time a video game song has won at the Grammies, with Civilization IV’s Baba Yetu. That song won back in 2011, in a different category. And that category was the best instrumental arrangement accompanying vocalist.

This Kirby win might have been different, had Journey won its nomination for best score soundtrack for visual media. But sadly, Journey lost to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

For those that want to listen to this now Grammy-winning arrangement of the Meta Knight’s Revenge, check out the video clip below. Or if you want something a little more recent when it comes to the Kirby franchise, maybe check out the Kirby and the Forgotten Land review– we were very excited to get a chance to play!

SOURCE SOURCE

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We’ve been keeping an eye on how well Fortnite fundraising for Ukrainian humanitarian aid has been going. The proceeds drive was well-timed, with the release of the latest Chapter coming out for the game. And, well, the numbers are far higher than expected.

The donation drive is now over. It had started on March 20, 2022, and had been well over the seventy million USD mark on March 28, 2022. It had been estimated by the time that the donation drive was over which was, in short having all the proceeds from real money in-game purchases go towards humanitarian aid- that Epic Games, through Fortnite, would raise 100 million USD.

Well, they were not wrong.

Instead of hitting the hundred million mark, Fortnite ended the donations nearly at the 150 million mark. The game’s community, as well as the Xbox community, have raised $144 million USD. All of the money will be going to five humanitarian aid organizations that are currently working in Ukraine.

These organizations are UNICEF, Direct Relief, World Food Programme, World Central Kitchen, and the UN Refugee Agency. Originally, the donations were to go to  Direct Relief, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme, and the UN Refugee Agency, making the World Central Kitchen the newest organization to be donated to. 

It’s possible, even probable, that there will be other organizations that will see the Fortnite donation funds, but we will have to see.

But two things can be said about these developments. One is that this is an impressive amount of funds, especially that this came up only in the course of two weeks- when Fortnite’s Chapter 3, Season 2 was released in fact. And two, that this will go to a great cause.

There are people who have fled Ukraine, and those who have been displaced during the conflict, that need all the help they can get.

SOURCE

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The game, Nobody Saves the World, has been previously released on the PC and on Xbox One, as well as Xbox Series X|S. And now, we’ve got word on more platforms this critically acclaimed game will be on.

We’ve previously done a review video on the game. From taking even a quick glimpse, Nobody Saves the World looks mighty fine and dandy to us. And it’s exciting to hear that those who do not have an Xbox console and did not want to play on PC, now have new options.

Nobody Saves the World will be coming on not only the Nintendo Switch but on the PlayStation 4 and 5. Not only will the new console release be arriving this April 2022, but the game can also now be pre-ordered on the Switch and PlayStation consoles. With the pre-order, there comes a ten percent discount off of the retail price- which isn’t much, but better than nothing!

Plus, on the same day of the new console release, which is April 14, 2022, all players will get the update for the local player co-op. That sounds like a win-win.

And certainly, Graham Smith, Producer on Nobody Saves the World and Co-Founder of Drinkbox Studios, is celebrating the success of the initial release in January of this year and is looking forward to seeing an expansion of Nobody’s player base.

“It’s been great to see the game being received so positively by our existing fans as well as new players,” said Smith, “We’ve been around for 14 years now, and Nobody Saves the World has quickly become one of our most successful games. Whenever we try making something completely new it feels like a big gamble, so we’re really happy that the game has found an audience, and hope that even more people will be able to enjoy it now that it’s arriving on PlayStation and Switch. Who knows, perhaps we’ll have more Nobody Saves the World ideas and forms to explore in the future!”

Well if there are more of the game in the future, we want to see it!

For those who want a copy of the game on the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation system, the game will be released on April 14, 2022, and be retailed at $24.99 USD.

SOURCE: Press Release

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So for those who have been waiting for the Resident Evil remakes on the latest consoles,  looks like we’ve gotten some hints.

While there had been word earlier from Capcom that Resident Evil Remake would be coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, we did not know exactly when. But we’re now getting a better idea.

It’s been noticed that the remake for Resident Evil 3 has been rated for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X|S by the European classifications board, PEGI. This has been for just the one game of the franchise so far, as, interestingly enough, there have not been any notifications that RE2, nor RE 7 have been rated. Not yet. And Capcom did state that all three games would be coming to the latest consoles in the future.

But, too, these releases would be digital-only- so those who had been hoping to get a physical copy will be disappointed. So far, there are no plans in place to get a physical version for the PS5 or the Xbox Series X|S for the Resident Evil games, and it sounds like there will not be in the future.

Hopefully, this is incorrect, and things may change in the future.

On a more exciting note, while all three games have been previously released, meaning that the rating can happen at any time with the European, North American, etc rating boards, this is a good sign. Usually, games getting ratings are among the last check before game release. Also, getting a game rated needs a publisher to submit it for review.

So, it’s possible that we will be hearing more of the remakes for Resident Evil 2, 3, and Resident Evil 7 before long.

We will update you when we hear more!

SOURCE   SOURCE

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There’s been a chip shortage for the big consoles: Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. But it seems there’s been a change in the wind for the Xbox Series X.

While it had been assumed it would take until the end of 2022, or even early 2023 to make any of the consoles (much less Xbox Series X) more accessible to the public, there has been a sudden surprising availability in the console. This is a pleasant surprise, considering that people have to contest against bots and scalpers ever since the pre-order for the latest Xbox console.

The less expensive version, the Series S, has been easier to get a hold of, but again, the Series X was what people wanted– as since the global situation arose, there have been far more people at home, and a higher demand for gaming in general.

So it seems that Microsoft has somehow been able to meet the demand- though how has yet to be released. Either they have been making the much-needed chips themselves or managed to buy a large supply, which had been depleted over the past two years.

This is an assumption, not a fact, as there has been no word on the global chip storage becoming better, or worse. And too, there has been no word on PlayStations 5 being easier to find- as in the recent months there has been word that they may be sold one place or another, only to find out that they’ve either been sold out, or there is nothing to sell.

There has been no word on the Nintendo Switch either, which has been going through the same situation.

But perhaps we will hear something officially soon, from either the consoles or the chip production soon. We will have to see!

SOURCE

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Activision Blizzard had decided to do something in the workplace and apparently, because of this, employees have decided to walk out.

Jessica Gonzalez, a former Activision Blizzard employee and a founder of A Better ABK, revealed that Chief Administrative Officer Brian Bulatao sent a company-wide email. Effective immediately, the mandate for employees do not need to be vaccinated for Covid-19. Moreover, there is a plan in place to have everyone working back in the various Activision Blizzard offices by June 2022.

All of this was due to the fact that, according to Bulatao’s email, this is to “align our site protocols with local guidance“. At least, within the American office. And while “proof of vaccinations are no longer required to work in the office, we ask that you confirm your vaccination status“. Which is confusing, and seems to assume that vaccination will ensure that there will be no case spikes.

LEAKED: Brian Bulatao emailed all of ABK to talk returning to office in June. They will not be enforcing proof of vaccination. I’m sure the ‘benefits’ of in person collaboration is actually so employees organizing can be followed and monitored closely. Do not die for this company pic.twitter.com/MSOwWVYBR3

— Jessica Gonzalez is a chair (@_TechJess) March 31, 2022

Blizzard employees, at least, are expected to have proof of vaccination. According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, Blizzard chief Mike Ybarra sent out an email that employees will have to have proof of vaccination.

This is not the same for the rest of Activision. There is little surprise then, that employees are upset. “As part of returning to office, Blizzard and Activision Blizzard held several feedback sessions and polls over the course of three months, at the end of which they decided to mandate the vaccine for workers coming into office,” a representative for ABK Workers Alliance stated to Polygon. “This was the agreement under which people agreed to come back. This recent change was not run by any employees before being announced.”

At the same time, Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra emailed staff saying they'll continue to require vaccination for at least the next few months and that about 80% of their employees in Irvine, Austin, and Albany have uploaded proof of vaccination

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) April 1, 2022

All of this boils down to the planned walkout for employees, on April 4, 2022, at 1 PM ET in protest. A Better ABK has posted three demands on Friday: An immediate reversal to lifting the vaccine requirement, remote work should be offered as a permanent solution and the decision to work remote or in-office should be made by each individual employee.

It’s difficult to say how many employees plan to walk out at this time. While there have been no comments from A Better ABK nor Activision Blizzard at this time, there had been a follow-up email on the following day of the first email, stating: “Although we are not on a company-wide basis requiring vaccinations to enter our buildings in the US, it is still up to the leaders of Activision Publishing, Blizzard, and King to determine the processes and policies that work best for their employees and locations based on local conditions and risk.”

We will have to see how many walkout, and if this statement in the follow-up letter has appeased or displeased their workers.

SOURCE,  SOURCE

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This has been a year of acquisitions for PlayStation and Xbox. Recently, there has been news of PlayStation acquiring Haven Studios, and Bungie is in the midst of being acquired.

But there has been news of more studios being acquired. On the PlayStation official podcast, Jim Ryan, PlayStation’s CEO, revealed that there are future plans. When it comes to the acquisitions, Ryan revealed that there is “more planned” when it comes to taking control of more studios.

It does not come as a complete surprise. Ryan has stated before that more are planned in the future back in January 2022, after news of the Bungie acquisition. And too, Sony has been wanting to grow via first-party studios, in order to fulfill their desire.

“We’re in a really good place with PlayStation Studios and have been for the past few years,” said Ryan during the PlayStation podcast. “We’re growing our studios organically and we’re growing through acquisition. We acquired five studios during the course of 2021, we’re in discussions with Bungie and we have more planned. This is getting us into a virtuous cycle where success begets success.”

It was also cited by Ryan that the commercial success of the games they’ve published and created has allowed this move to even be possible.

Still, while we are getting hints as to more possible studios being taken up by Sony and PlayStation by extension, we have yet to hear of which ones may be on the docket, and how soon we may hear a word of the deals being finalized. So for now, we will have to wait and see what studios will be acquired, and what games this may mean.

We’re already excited about what IP Haven Studio will be revealing. Stay Tuned!

SOURCE

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It’s official: we’ve got the Stanley Parable coming out new and improved.

While there had been an accidental leak a few days prior, it’s now been confirmed by the two developers of the game, Galactic Cafe and CROWS CROWS CROWS. The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe has a release date. Not only that but the date is set for the upcoming month, April 27, 2022.

The game is set to come out on various platforms, including PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

With this release announcement, there is also the assurance that Kevan Brighting will continue on as the narrator. That, and there is the promise that there has been a great improvement from the 2013 graphics- and even a new release trailer that was shown on Twitter.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe comes to Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on April 27, 2022! pic.twitter.com/lBmfJh575X

— Crows Crows Crows (@crowsx3) March 30, 2022

The game trailer reveals why the particular date was chosen, and also reminds those who have never played (or have perhaps forgotten) why the Stanley Parable was so critically acclaimed. For in this game, you play as Stanley, also known as employee 427. And there is a choice given: either to follow the directives of the charming narrator or strike out on their own while still in the office space.

Apparently, there will be more choices, more directives that can be followed or dismissed, and better visual quality- some of which can be seen in the trailer itself. And there may be new endings too. Plus, the Ultra Deluxe also takes a leap from the original Source Engine to the Unity Engine, which may make a difference in gameplay.

As for the Ultra Deluxe edition, this version of the game was originally supposed to come out in 2019 but was sadly delayed. but now the wait is almost over. We can’t wait to see this game in action!

SOURCE    SOURCE

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Breath of the Wild 2 has been one of Nintendo’s most anticipated games coming up in 2022. And after waiting for months for more reveal trailers, more news in general…well. Turns out there was a reason there had been no news at all.

Nintendo revealed in a video that Breath of the Wild 2 has been pushed to Spring of 2023.

Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma spoke of the bad news for Zelda fans. “We previously announced that we were aiming for a 2022 release for this game. However, we have decided to extend our development time a bit and change the release to spring 2023. For those of you who have been looking forward to release this year, we apologize.”

The follow-up to the beautiful game Breath of the Wild, simply called Breath of the Wild 2 (as there has been no other official name released as of yet), has been yearned for by the public since the big reveal of the game in 2019. This officially makes it three years since the initial trailer, and five since the game had been rumored to be in the works.

“In order to make this game’s experience something special, the entire development team is working diligently on this game, so please wait a little while longer,” Aonuma said, while also mentioning that the game will take place in the land, skies, and “beyond”.

While this means that there is more time for the game to be officially worked on, it seems that Nintendo received a little blowback because of the news. Despite having Kirby and the Forgotten Land, among other great Nintendo games lined up for this year, it seemed to have upset fans. Or, it may have been by a complete coincidence that Nintendo stock prices fell by 6% after the announcement.

Then again, according to reports, this seems to happen every time there is an announcement of a game delay for Nintendo. So, things may not be as bad as it seems. And, if we’re so lucky, we will hear more news about Breath of the Wild 2 and possibly even a demo.

We will have to keep our fingers crossed. Stay tuned!

SOURCE     SOURCE

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Activision has gotten a win. No, it’s not about the Microsoft acquisition. There’s been word about one of the discrimination lawsuits that Activision has been facing.

An American judge, for the case with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (also known as the EEOC), has approved the $18 million dollar settlement with Activision Blizzard. District Judge Dale Fischer was the one who gave the approval on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. The hearing itself states (according to Washington Post) that “The Court is generally satisfied that both the monetary relief and the nonmonetary provisions are fair, reasonable and adequate.”

It seems that Activision Blizzard is pleased with this news. In a recent press release, Bobby Kotick stated, “Our goal is to make Activision Blizzard a model for the industry, and we will continue to focus on eliminating harassment and discrimination from our workplace. The court’s approval of this settlement is an important step in ensuring that our employees have mechanisms for recourse if they experienced any form of harassment or retaliation.”

While originally the settlement was supposed to be reviewed and agreed upon in September 2021, the Department For Employment and Housing brought up their own objections. Mostly, their case was that, well, this would bring harm to their own case against the gaming company. EEOC then decided to say that the other department had lawyers operating under ethics violations.

There was also an attempt to interfere by former Blizzard employee Jessica Gonzelez, but Gonzelez’s attempts have been dismissed.

The money from the settlement will not be given to slighted employees directly. Instead, EEOC will be directing the funds to first, harassment and discrimination prevention programs within Activision, and secondary to charities that focus on supporting women in the gaming industry and those that tackle gender inequality.

However, this is only the first of many discrimination lawsuits against Activision that need to be tackled. And according to Fahizah Alim, a spokesperson for the Department For Employment and Housing, the department “will continue to vigorously prosecute its action against Activision.”

The current trial date for the Department’s suit is set for next year, in February 2023.

SOURCE  SOURCE

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There has been a lot of help for humanitarian relief for Ukraine. Itch.io, the indie game platform raised funds with their platform; Fortnite has been raising an absurd amount of funds with their Chapter release, which is still ongoing. And Humble Bundle has finished its fundraiser, with a lot of money raised.

From March 18, 2022, to March 25, 2022, Humble Bundle, with its collection of 123 games, novels, and other media, with the help of 473,903 bundles sold, has raised $25,910,374 CAD. All proceeds will be given to the following charities: Razom for Ukraine, International Rescue Committee, International Medical Corps, and Direct Relief.

While it is difficult to say whether this is the biggest fundraiser for Humble Bundle or not. But, it’s likely pretty up there, in comparison to recent fundraising history. The  Conquer Covid-19 bundle raised  $6,565,660.79 with 208,528 bundles sold; Fight for Racial Justice raised $4,385,310.63 with 134,087 bundles sold, and Australia Fire Relief raised $1,841,545.18 after selling  68,114 bundles.

Of course, part of the success can be taken to the high minimum price for the Stand for Ukraine bundle, which had been about $40 US. But it might have been also the fact that this has been a highly public event with a lot of publicity and people in need.

But, the total cost of the games was well over the minimum price, making the bundle a steal. Some of the games that had been part of the bundle were the three Amnesia games, Super Hot, Back 4 Blood, Quantum Break, among many others.

According to the Humble Bundle website, they have raised over 200 million in charities so far. They have donated to not only the charities above, but to Girls who Code, Special Effect, Make a Wish Foundation, among others.

Many other companies have stepped up as well in the last few weeks, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. We will have to see if there will be other bundles or fundraising in the gaming community for Ukraine’s humanitarian aid.

SOURCE

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Crazy as it sounds, Fortnite in a fell swoop, has currently managed to donate more humanitarian aid and relief than some countries. And they still have a little more than a week to go with their fundraiser.

This comes from the Epic game store pledging that all real money in-game purchases in Fortnite will go towards relief in Ukraine. Currently, the money is to go towards four organizations: Direct Relief, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme, and the UN Refugee Agency. The company has since stated that “more organizations will be added to this list in the coming weeks.”.  Xbox has also stepped up to support this endeavor, by partnering up and donating its net proceeds to the cause for the same time period.

And the results so far are rather telling. So far, this has raised 70 million US dollars. This has also been clarified that the money will not be kept until the deadline of April 5, 2022, or until the money is processed. During a blog post, Epic stated that they are committed to getting any funds distributed “within days.”

While it is certainly possible that Fortnite will break the $100 million mark for donation (as the Twitter post originally stated the current amount at the time was on March 25, 2022), there have been other donations from different companies. While Epic, via Fortnite, is currently the company that has donated the most money (at least so far), KFC and McDonald’s have both donated food, Microsoft has made a patch to help Ukraine authorities against a malware attack, Airbnb provided short term housing, among so many other services- such as SpaceX offering Starlink on all user terminals.

Together we’ve now raised $70 million USD in humanitarian relief funds for Ukraine. Congratulations and thanks everyone + @xbox for joining this effort! pic.twitter.com/C09uffbjPF

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) March 25, 2022

The sheer amount of money that has been raised through Fortnite can be attributed in part thanks to the release of Chapter 3 Season 2 on March 20, 2022- where players would be playing the game and getting things such as new skins, battle passes, and other goodies.

The fundraiser is still going, until April 5, 2022. So if you are interested in getting into Fortnite, now may be a good time.

SOURCE

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It appears the game Among Us had a bit of a problem with an Imposter this weekend.

All jokes aside, there was a DDoS (also known as a Distributed Denial of Service) attack on the Among Us servers. This first came to light on Friday, March 25, 2022, when there was limited or no service at all for the game. This was for North American and European Servers. The game developer, InnerSloth, has been on top of this, trying to help with keeping updates and letting people know what was going on via Twitter updates.

Some of the details of the tweets were pretty amusing while also keeping people in the loop. For example:  “cant believe im working on a saturday rn i was supposed to go and get a croissant” and “someone really had to DDoS us at the end of my work day??? smh???? it’s 5pm i wanted to nap this is so rude“.

But truly, InnerSloth did seem to be trying to keep on top of fixing the problem that came from the attack. Where the attack came from, has yet to be revealed on Twitter- nor as to how or why.

cant believe im working on a saturday rn i was supposed to go and get a croissant

— Among Us (@AmongUsGame) March 26, 2022

However, while the whys and hows are still unknown for what comes to the DDoS attack, it looks as though everything has become stabilized. At least, it seems stable for the moment, according to the latest InnerSloth update. There have been no other updates since the six hours from the last post (as of this writing) so things may be alright for now when it comes to being able to play the popular game.

We may find out details of the attacks in the future; maybe not. So as the developers said, it’s time to get back to your tasks!

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There is a new horror game that is set to be coming out later this year, in Fall 2022. And this game is known as Mirror Forge.

Mirror Forge was created by MystiveDev, a solo developer. It’s clear that they are very proud of their creation, stating that during the game, players can enjoy “The level & environment design, the characters, whether good or evil, are all symbolically designed to reflect the main protagonist’s inner turmoil“.

And there appears to be a lot of turmoil for the main character, Thomas Jackson. The story revolves around a mundane man who has gone through a lot of grief, thanks to a car accident, the pandemic, and depression. But rather than having the game being a journey through the mind, much like Layers of Fear or similar games, it is more to do with something there is news that something known as the “Mirror Forge exploded“, which has ripped the multiverse apart.

And with it, something has come from Outside of our universe, to feed on people’s fears and force them to face their darkest nightmares.

There has been a new reveal trailer, and it shows the monsters, the gameplay, and the ability to traverse to go through different realities via mirrors- which does bring to mind one particular Silent Hill, and The Evil Within. It does look like there is a lot of inspiration that comes from various horror games, both from the more recent past, and some that are closer to the 90s.

There is also a playable demo, and it is currently at 4100+ Wishlists on Steam. As a warning though, for those who may have photosensitive epilepsy, this game may not be for you. But for those who want more information about this game, please see the Steam page– but be warned that this may not be those who are for the faint of heart. While this game has not been rated, this game does have violence, gore, and horror.

And for those who love horror- stay tuned for more details!

SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE

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Even as the Spring Next Fest for Steam is ending, we’ve got news of the next fest that is coming up.

“Mark your calendars for the June 2022 edition of Steam’s multi-day celebration of upcoming games!” Valve wrote in their announcement. “From 13th – 20th June, players get to try out free demos from all sorts of upcoming games on Steam, giving developers a chance to start building an audience and gather early feedback.”

Steam also gave a little ditty on the press release: “Steam Next Fest in June, this here is your memo / To mark down the dates to try hundreds of demos / There will be lots of livestreams – we say there’ll be oodles / For the sake of this rhyme, they might go well with noodles. (Poodles?)“. Which is pretty cute.

As well the sheer amount of demos to try, there will be a bunch of live streams to enjoy, as well as meeting the people behind the games.  There have been no reveals for the games that will be given demos and revealed in June, not yet, but there is a lot of excitement.

There may also be more reveals for Steam Deck games, as well as general promotion of the Steam Deck itself, but we may have to wait until it is closer to the Next Fest date to hear more.

But while the schedule is close, if not overlapping with E3, it’s difficult to say whether this is for better or for worse. E3, for one, is not to be held in person due to “the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19,”. Moreover, there have been no specific dates announced for the event so far- nor has there been any updating on the website, from the quick glance over.

So for now, Next Fest may be the place to be at (at least digitally)!

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Sony has been working hard behind the scenes when it comes to the PlayStation. And this may come in the form of the unveiling of a certain project, known currently (and internally) as Spartacus.

Project Spartacus has been predicted to be two things. The first prediction is that it would be combining the two current subscription services, PlayStation Plus, and PlayStation Now. And two is that this will be an answer to the Xbox’s very successful Game Pass.

The current idea is that Spartacus will have three tiers of the subscription service. Each tier is excepted to offer different games at different price points, adding games that will come in the future, and the highest tier of the subscription could offer games from the PS2 and PSP catalog. Currently, the PlayStation Now service offers PS4, PS3, and PS2 games for those who are subscribed.

But from what information that we can find, it looks as if Spartacus will offer more of a back catalog of PlayStation games from over the years, rather than what will be more current like it is with the Xbox Game Pass.

Still, according to the report, it sounds as if we will get a “debut with a splashy lineup of hit games from recent years”. As well, we may see Spartacus as soon as this week. And with it, we may see the prices revealed, as well as the initial library of games that will be unveiled.

But it does sound as if, while the new subscription service will be offering a lot, there will be no first-day releases on the new pass. So for those who would want to have, say, God of War Ragnarok at launch, that sounds like it will not happen. But we may be wrong.

Hopefully, we will hear more details soon!

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Ubisoft has announced a new league for one of their popular game, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.

The two former leagues, UK Ireland Nationals (UKIN) and Nordic Championship esports leagues have been combined to create Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Northern Premier League. The new league will state that it will be highly competitive. It also states that it will still be at work in both UK, Ireland, and Nordic scenes, with a prize pool of €25,000.

Mark Slaughter, UK Marketing Director, Ubisoft stated on the new move, “We’re excited to bring this new Rainbow Six Siege esports competition for our UK, Ireland, and Nordic players,” This new tier will help further develop both local scenes from grassroots through to the Northern Premier League and ultimately to the European Challenger League, giving our players and teams more opportunities to participate and to win.”

Peter Weile, Nordic Managing Director at Ubisoft, also stated, “Rainbow Six Siege has steadily become one of the most popular esports games in the world and the new Northern Premier League will expose this wonderful title to even more people. The future is extremely exciting for Rainbow Six Siege.”

So far, Northern Premier League will have 10 teams that will compete from April 19, 2022, to the end of August 2022. There will be two broadcasts per week, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, where the ten teams will compete for the top two spots, which will enter them into slots for European Challenger League, which is the challenging competition that draws all the top teams from across Europe to get promoted into the European League, the top tier league for Rainbow Six Siege in Europe.

For more information on this new league, it can be found on the new Northern Premier League website.

SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE

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Xbox has announced that there will be a lot of games coming out in the last week of March 2022. And from the looks of it, it will be a good one.

From the list, there are games for the Xbox One, Xbox X|S, and PC, and some will even be on the Game Pass! The games are Crusader Kings III, Ikai, Vengeful Heart, Agent Intercept, Weird West, Whisper Trip, Glam’s Incredible Run: Escape from Dukha, Princess Farmer, Real Heroes: Firefighter, Flat Kingdom Paper’s Cut Edition, MLB The Show 22: MVP edition, and Super Cyborg.

These games are all over the map when it comes to genres, art forms, and release dates. For March 29, 2022, we have Crusader Kings III, Ikai,  and Vengeful Heart.

Crusader Kings III is currently out on the PC Game’s Pass and will be coming out on the Xbox Series X|S, where players can create new dynasties and attempt to create empires with their chosen ruler during the European medieval period. For Ikai, it’s a psychological horror game that draws on Japanese folklore, driven by its story. Vengeful Heart itself is an RPG about the main character losing their heart, thanks to an evil corporation, they go onto the path of vengeance- and romance.

There are three games that are also coming out on March 30, 2022: Weird West, Whisper Trip, and Glam’s Incredible Run: Escape from Dukha. Weird West will be on the Game’s Pass on day one (a game that is about the wild west and fantastical creatures they need to fight against) but whether the side scroller Whisper Trip or Glam’s platformer will also be on the Game Pass on day one, it has not been confirmed.

On March 31, 2022, Princess Farmer (which is a mix of match 3 and visual novel), Real Heroes: Firefighter (first-person rescue game)  will be the two games that will be coming out on that day. Same on April 1, 2022. There will be three games on April Fools that are no joke: Flat Kingdom, MLB The Show 22: MVP edition and Super Cyborg will be coming out. For those who want the standard edition of the baseball game, don’t worry- it will be available on April 5, 2022, on the Game Pass.

So if you’re looking for a new game on the Xbox this week, this may be the place to go!

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Now that we’re well into the new year, we’ve got new games, new updates- and new lawsuits. This new lawsuit, which has been placed against Activision Blizzard, brings new details to light, and some of them are quite disturbing.

This suit comes from the law firm office of Lisa Bloom, who is also representing another sexual harassment lawsuit against the company, by the name of Christine. These are different defendants though, as they are currently known as “[Jane] Does 1 through 25”.

Most of this case revolves around a specific former employee, Mark Skorupa. Skorupa, now working in Microsoft, has been accused of making sexual comments and advances of one Jane Doe, who had been hired as a  senior administrative assistant to Skorupa, since day one. He had even placed his hand on her lap during the first day and gave her long, unwelcome embraces. He also harassed another employee that worked in the IT department.

The reason the company is also brought into the lawsuit, and not just Skorupa, is because there was a pattern of dismissal and retaliation in the form of blocking from promotion and pay decreases and dismissals. According to the suit, HR “dismissed Ms. Doe’s sexual misconduct complaints, saying that it was just her leadership being nice and trying to be friends with her. HR asked Ms. Doe to keep all of her issues, concerns, recordings, or emails to herself because they could be very damaging to Activision Blizzard.”

Not to mention, that even after Blizzard promised that things would change, Jane Doe has been feeling the effects of the toxic work environment. According to Doe, she had been passed over a promotion, and the company lied when asked for the reason, saying that she had been fired.

There are other details of this case- where another Jane Doe was propositioned, and a senior manager tried to kiss the same Doe.

Currently, Blizzard has declined comments on the matter.

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Frogwares, the game developer who is known for games such as Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments and the Sinking City, has been hard at work. It goes to show their tenacity, as part of the team is based in the Ukraine. And well, there’s little need to emphasize how difficult it is in the region currently.

While it is true that other members of the team are scattered throughout Europe, though mostly within Ireland, Frogwares has released a statement. Despite the dangers of the region, and the challenges, members of the studio are continuing their work.

And there is danger. In one Twitter post, the developers told its followers that a residential area where 10+ of their staff lived was attacked but thankfully were not hurt. Still, much like esports team Na’Vi, the studio is continuing to stand strong.

“Even though we are scattered across Ukraine and the EU, we are finding a way to keep the studio moving forward during the war.” wrote the studio on Twitter. They continued with, “We will release a new game on the Nintendo Switch in the coming weeks. More details real soon.”

What this game may be is difficult to say; this could be a Redux of Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter to be ported onto the Switch. Previously, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments came out onto the Switch in February 2022, with Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, having come out previously on all current consoles in 2021.

Or, perhaps, this may be a new IP, like that of The Sinking City. But until we know the details ourselves, we can’t be sure, and would only be guessing. We can only wait on more word for detail and wish the studio the best in these troubling times.

Would you like to see a new Sherlock Holmes game by Frogwares? Or a new IP? Let us know on Twitter or on Facebook!

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